Follow the leader- Kaytlyn and Zach

October 16, 2017

Follow the leader- Kaytlyn and Zach

Fort Collins Make a difference day is all about helping the community. This month we are profiling two leaders in Fort Collins who have gone above and beyond to make Larimer County a better place to live. Last month we were introduced to Kaytlyn and Zach. They are Volunteer Project Leaders (VPLs) working with Homeless Gear to collect clothes and supplies. Homeless Gear is an organization that works to help individuals facing homelessness in many ways. When asked what was surprising about Homeless Gear, the couple said, “Homeless Gear isn’t just about collecting clothes for the winter; with the partnership of The Murphy Center they have a total of 25 programs with a wide range of benefits, from helping people find a job, getting them clothes or a bike to help them get to work, filling out government forms for benefits and assistance, the Children In Need program to help with medical exams and haircuts, to helping people that are homeless get on their feet and regain stability.”

Non-profits such as Homeless Gear rely on VPLs and the Fort Collins community to help collect donations and make the programs possible. With Make a Difference Day approaching fast, it is important for Kaytlyn and Zach to keep working with the community. “Our next step in this project is reaching out to local businesses for more drop off locations, possible donations, and for them to spread the word to their clients/customers. We are also reaching out to businesses to find someone to donate bins for collecting the donations. We have started to put up signs with a list of items to get the word out where we are collecting and where they can be dropped off at.”

Being a Volunteer Project Leader requires a lot of hard work and collaboration with non-profit organizations. Kaytlyn and Zach have been working to make sure that Homeless Gear will have everything they need for Make a Difference Day. “The challenge with this project is getting the word out fast enough that people will find or purchase the belongings they would like to donate and have time to drop them off at one of the locations.” While being a VPL may be challenging, being a leader in the community is very rewarding. When asked what they were looking forward to most in the upcoming weeks, Zach and Kaytlyn said, “We are really looking forward to seeing how many donations we get and to see how many people will benefit from the donations. We are also looking forward to getting out and talking to local businesses. We think it will be a good opportunity to meet people in the community.”

If you are interested in helping Homeless Gear, please drop off any of the items listed here at the following locations:

Mueller Pye & Associates – 762 W. Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland CO

Berthoud Chamber of Commerce – 428 Mountain Ave,

Berthoud CO Family Mortgage – 2203 N Taft Ave, Loveland CO

Bank of Colorado (Fort Collins) – 1609 E Harmony Rd, Fort Collins, CO

Weedin Agency Insurance – 1601 E Eisenhower Blvd, Loveland, CO

You too can make a difference in the community by volunteering for a Make a Difference Day project. Click the link below to view current projects and volunteer.

Applications for Volunteer Project Leaders are currently closed; however, if you are interested in the program please email Beth Bunde at bbunde@uwaylc.org.

McKenna WoodMcKenna Wood is a Community Impact Intern with United Way. She is currently a senior at Colorado State University studying communications and history. In her free time McKenna enjoys painting, yoga and looking at pictures of dogs on the internet.